Commerce City, Colo.- After a resounding victory against the Houston Dash, Denver Summit FC hosts Orlando Pride for their first rematch this season (previous result was a draw). Orlando Pride currently sits above Summit in the rankings at 7th. Denver moved up to 12th after last weekend.
In case you missed it, Summit beat Houston Dash with a dominant performance this past Saturday (see highlights here). Denver’s offense was unstoppable with first-time Summit scorers’ Janine Sonis and Delanie Sheehan recording three of the four goals.
Here’s five things to look for when Denver takes on Orlando Pride and Golden Boot frontrunner Barbra Banda.
Previous Result: 4-1 Win against Houston Dash
The Match: Denver Summit hosts Orlando Pride
When: Saturday, May 15th at 6:45 PM
Where: DICK’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colorado
TV/Streaming: Ion
Building Off Momentum
Against the Houston Dash, Denver Summit looked the best they have all season. The team showed off their ability to possess – they had 53% of the ball, only the second game they have out-possessed their opponent. The other game was the 0-0 draw against Seattle Reign, with 54%. The team showed better movement off the ball, composure and poise on the ball, and overall acted in a more anticipatory manner. This possession was undoubtedly a big contributor to their victory, and it perhaps best showcased in the buildup for the Delanie Sheehan goal, where nearly every player on the field touched the ball.
Denver Summit will need to build off of the momentum from Saturday’s game and exhibit the same characteristics they showed. It is likely that there will be very minimal changes to Summit’s starting lineup, which will help the team to build off of their work so far. In the postgame press conference, Coach Nick Cushing recognized this team has a lot more to give, so if the team builds off of their current trajectory it is certain they will be playoff contenders.
Playing a Full 90+
Every game this season despite showing bright moments, Summit has let up at points. They are not yet a consistent 90 minute team. This was especially evident in the two defeats, where Summit let teams come back in the second half as the defense got caught on their back feet.
During the Houston game, the team showed huge improvement. The improvement resulted in a goal as early as the 15th minute all the way to the final goal in the 72nd minute after two subs came on. However, in the last 10 to 15 minutes, the quality of Summit’s play dropped off, and Houston recorded almost half of their shots of the whole game.
Denver will need subs beyond Carson Pickett and Olivia Thomas to come in and make themselves dangerous. Pickett and Thomas contributed to a goal in the past two games, the first two subs to do so for the Summit. Although it was somewhat expected for Denver to slow down given the lead, the team needs to continue to play hard in these games for a full 90 minutes. Giving a full performance will strengthen the drive for games where they do not have the lead.
Time will tell, but it will be interesting to see what subs Cushing will utilize to drive the 90-minute performance. In Cushing’s post-game Saturday, he acknowledged the team has faced challenges in putting on a full performance. Forward Yazmeen Ryan also discussed carrying forward and being “90 minute focused”, so it is clear it is a priority of the team, and something subs will want to show they are capable of as they battle for more playing time.
Defending Barbra Banda and Company
Although Orlando has had an array of goal scorers this season (McCutcheon, Marta, and Anderson to name a few), the team’s identity as a goal scoring team is largely built around Barbra Banda. Banda leads the golden boot race with eight goals this season. The 26-year-old is incredibly dangerous due to her speed, grit, and ability to draw fouls in dangerous areas. When Summit played Orlando earlier this season, Banda scored to tie up the game, resulting in a 1-1 draw. The biggest key to shutting down Orlando will be to shut down Banda, as the team looks far less dangerous without her. This game’s defending strategy will surely incorporate the speed of Ayo Oke, who will need to be sure to keep up with Banda.
Summit will also need to take care to not make unnecessary fouls in the box as seen on Saturday. Fouls in the box with Marta on the field are almost instantly a guaranteed goal, as Marta leads the league with penalty kicks scored and Marta scored a PK this Tuesday against Boston Legacy.
Ultimately, although Abby Smith played a quieter past few games, she will need to make sure she is up to the task for any shots that slip through the cracks. According to FotMob, Orlando Pride sits top in the league for shots on goal per game with 6.60. Hopefully Abby enjoyed her “break” last Saturday because her expertise will be in demand Saturday. The only defensive advantage for the Summit is that “the Magician”, Lizbeth Ovalle, is unfortunately out due to injury. Ovalle had the assist to Banda in the game-tying goal against Summit.
A Tale of Two Defenses
Orlando and Summit both have defensive weaknesses they will need to clean up in order to put on a strong showing Saturday night.
Anna Moorhouse, Orlando’s goalkeeper, is currently the third-worst in the league right now with 2.10 saves per match. If you ask most Orlando fans, they are ready to send her packing (Denver sits at 3.80 saves per match). Furthermore, due to a pile up of injuries to start the season, Orlando definitely misses former Defender of the Year Emily Sams (now on Angel City). This, along with other weaknesses to the defensive line has led to unacceptable goals. The weakness of Orlando’s defense was especially evident during their match against Washington Spirit – watch the highlights here.
Comparatively, Orlando and Denver have similar defensive strength. Orlando and Denver conceded a similar number of goals a game. Denver conceded on average 1.3 goals per game thus far this season, whereas Orlando has conceded 1.4. However, Denver has conceded 11.30 xG (expected goals) , compared to Orlando’s 9.10 (according to FotMob).
Mid-Week Game Exhaustion and Injuries
Orlando fell Tuesday night as Boston dominated the matchup and a stoppage time PK to walk away with three points. Boston are unbeaten in four, something Summit fans will be envious of. In addition to a chippy game, Marta and Banda are nursing preexisting injuries and may see limited time on Saturday. Furthermore, center back starter Rafaelle, forward Julie Doyle, and midfielder Angelina were all subbed out early due to injuries. Orlando coach Seb Hines will likely elect to rest the three starters out of precaution or true injury come Saturday. Stay up to date with the availability reports by following Taylor Vincent on Bluesky.
Finally, this Saturday’s game will be Pride Night for Denver Summit. Orlando can expect supporters to show up and out as fans will be extra rowdy as they celebrate one of the most special elements of women’s soccer. Denver Summit has also announced multiple performances, a surprise announcement, and more for their first ever Pride Night – check out the guide for the celebration on their Instagram.
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Matt Pollard 